“Putin insisted that the West have been the aggressors and that Putin’s invasion was in fact a defense of the motherland.”
He is talking about color revolution, and the plan to establish military bases to wipe out Russia. In his mind he is defending his country against those things.
It’s not just in his mind, it’s in reality.
I have to laugh at that. Was there a single shovel of dirt turned to build bases to attack Russia?
Comparisons with Cuba are weak. The sites in Cuba were actually built. We did nothing until the missiles were there.